Step back in time for a moment. Journey back more than a century when mental hospitals and poorhouses were the norm, rather than the exception, and treating the mentally ill and the poor was considerably different than it is today. Mayview State Hospital in Pittsburgh – now remaining only in old photographs, videos, and the memories of former patients – played an important role in the Pittsburgh community for decades. Let’s take a look at this abandoned hospital in Pittsburgh.

Construction began, on what would later become Mayview State Hospital, in the late 1800s. Originally known as Marshalsea Poor House, the facility featured buildings for the poor and a separate building for the mentally ill.
Devon Christopher Adams/Flickr
The definition of mentally ill back in the early 1900s, however, was all-encompassing, at least by today's standards. In fact, until somewhere around 1940, single moms were sometimes institutionalized and labeled "insane."
Devon Christopher Adams/Flickr
Marshalsea Poor House developed a reputation for being a place of deep sorrow, staining its name within the community.
Devon Christopher Adams/Flickr
In an effort to change the hospital's image, Marshalsea Poor House held a community-wide contest to find a more suitable name for the facility.
Devon Christopher Adams/Flickr
Marshalsea Poor House officially became Mayview State Hospital and would serve an important role in the community until it shut down in late 2008.
Devon Christopher Adams/Flickr
The population at Mayview State Hospital fluctuated over the years. By June of 1967, however, the patient numbers swelled to a staggering 3,785 patients attended to by a staff of roughly 1,200.
Devon Christopher Adams/Flickr

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Resident numbers rose largely due to the transferring of patients from other facilities shut down by the state.
Devon Christopher Adams/Flickr
Eventually, Mayview State Hospital housed, in addition to the mentally ill, convicted criminals, juveniles, and others.
Devon Christopher Adams/Flickr
Patient numbers began rapidly declining in the late 1970s, but the hospital continued to operate for three more decades.
Devon Christopher Adams/Flickr
The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare announced in 2007 that Mayview State Hospital would officially close at the end of the following year.
Devon Christopher Adams/Flickr
By 2008, its final year, the hospital housed 354 patients and employed 800 staff members.
Devon Christopher Adams/Flickr
Before the hospital officially closed at the end of 2008, the remaining patients underwent evaluations to determine where they would be placed for continuing care.
Devon Christopher Adams/Flickr
The buildings that comprised Mayview State Hospital were eventually purchased and demolished.
Devon Christopher Adams/Flickr


Check out what the Mayview State Hospital in Pennsylvania looks like today in this video from C&P Explorers:

 

This abandoned asylum in PA has mostly returned to the earth, but the memory of what occurred here will live on. Do you remember this hospital in Pittsburgh? Share your stories below! While Mayview remains only through photographs and memories, you can still visit these nine abandoned places in Pittsburgh.

If you’re looking for more interesting and exciting ways to discover Pennsylvania, Airbnb Experiences has a lot of fun options!

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More to Explore

More abandoned places in Pittsburgh

Chris Muras | January 28, 2023

How many abandoned places are there in Pennsylvania?

 

There are dozens of abandoned places in Pennsylvania, from houses to towns, churches, and barns. What makes each of them unique is the stories they tell about the past. Here are a few interesting abandoned places near Pittsburgh that you may or may not have heard of:

  • St. Peter and Paul Church: This beautiful imposing structure was a marvel of engineering and design in 1891. Now it stands as a skeleton of its former glory.
  • Larimer School: Larimer Elementary School was built in 1896. It had an amazing run of nearly one hundred years before permanently closing in 1986. There have been rumors that it may be revived once again and transformed into apartments.
  • Brownsville General Hospital: Now demolished, this old hospital had a second life as the Brownsville Golden Age Nursing Home. However, it was shut down in 1985 after allegations of serious abuse of its residents.
  • The Neill Log House: Perhaps one of the oldest abandoned places in Pennsylvania, and certainly the oldest domestic log dwelling in Pittsburgh, is this old log cabin built in 1795. There are plans to renovate the house so we can continue to enjoy it for decades to come.
  • Piney Fork Railroad Tunnel: Have you heard about the Green Man? This once thriving railroad tunnel for the B&O Railroad in the 1920s closed in the mid-1960s. The Green Man, legend has it, still roams the tunnels after a horrible accident left him disfigured, and well, dead.

 

Read more about these five abandoned places near Pittsburgh, as well as four more in this article. Some of these potentially haunted places you can still visit to experience the feeling of them in person.

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Mayview State Hospital, South Fayette Township, PA, USA